This has been a tough week for me.  It started so well.  A wonderful weekend of ministry last Saturday and worship on Sunday.  I was excited about this week and all it held.  Then I came home from work Monday evening to find my AARP application waiting for me.

I will turn 50 later this month.  I will then be half a century old.  It's a milestone worthy of reflection.  Over these 50 years, what events stand out as most significant?  There's no contest: my salvation, my marriage, and the birth of our sons.

Every parent would feel the same way.  There is no greater privilege in life than being a father or a mother.  And no challenge more important or overwhelming.  To be so responsible for another person--to be the most important influence on an eternal soul--is a daunting assignment.

If you're a mother, you're facing such a challenge today.  The good news is that God wants to help.  He wants to help every mother and every mother's child with the burdens and responsibilities we carry.  But there's a catch, as we'll see this morning.